Hemel Hempstead Table Tennis League returns with a bang

The 2015/16 Hemel Hempstead Table Tennis League season got under way this month, with plenty of action across the three divisions.

Reigning champions Adeyfield I started with a win as they beat Flamstead I 6-4 in a close game, with Mike Boardman in supreme form for the winners.

However, they then lost for the first time in more than 18 months as they suffered a 6-4 defeat against arch rivals Crown & Sceptre I. Again Boardman reigned supreme with a maximum but it was not enough to prevent his side from falling to the defeat.

Crown I had Gary Keers to thank for a maximum in a 7-3 victory over Flamstead I. He followed this with another treble against his club-mates from the A team in a 10-0 demolition derby. Marc Lyons and newboy James Dance added maximums in this game.

St Michaels were another team who got off to a winning start with a 10-0 whitewash of Crown & Sceptre B and a 7-3 victory over Flamstead I, for whom Angela Smith hit a hat-trick.

Row had a 7-3 triumph over Crown & Sceptre A thanks to a Bob Cummins treble, and they drew 5-5 with Crown & Sceptre B as newboy Abdul Rahim made a maximum on his debut.

Meanwhile in Division Two, newly relegated Adeyfield A got off to a flying start as they attempt to bounce straight back. They has back-to-back victories over St Georges I and KLCC I, with Nigel Finn making a maximum in the former and Les Leech and Martin Johnson both doing likewise in the latter. The team also had a narrow 6-4 win over Northchurch I.

McAlpines got off to a good start with three 6-4 victories against Crown & Sceptre C, Flamstead B and St Georges I. Star of the team was Xin Jun Wang with maximums in all three games.

Flamstead B won 8-2 against Adeyfield B thanks to a Darren Roan treble, but Adeyfield responded in their next match with a 7-3 triumph against St Georges I as Trevor McFarlane and Mariusz Puczynski both completed maximums.

KLCC I had a 7-3 victory over Crown & Sceptre C but then suffered a 7-3 reversal against Northchurch I, for whom Simon Whale notched a maximum.

In Division Three, Flamstead C have started in superb fashion, beating Northchurch A 10-0, St Georges A 8-2 and a narrow 6-4 win over Highfield despite the efforts for Colin Parslow for the losing side. In the other two matches, Phil Oswin and Tony Bourke both attained double maximums.

St Georges hit back with 7-3 victories over Adeyfield C and Northchurch B; Gaton Broner hit a treble in the first game and Tony Sanders helped himself to a hat-trick for Northchurch.

Northchurch A scraped past their B team 6-4 thanks in the main to a Dave Walker maximum.

Frank Manfield led the way in the A Team’s win against KLCC A, but the losing side turned it around in the next game with a resounding 9-1 success over Northchurch C thanks to maximums from Pete Watts and John Saunders.